HUST are delighted to host the very first Switch of Play live on 24 September! If you are not aware, Switch of Play is a podcast hosted by ex-Pools media manager Mark Simpson and Pools legend Micky Barron, and is enjoyed by Poolies everywhere.
The live event will be from 6pm on Sunday 24 September with guests to be confirmed. It will take place at the Pavilion Bar at Grayfields and tickets are just £10 per person. This includes pie and peas, and can be bought via our website here. Tickets are limited so please get in quick!
Earlier on there is a special match between HUST and Darlington Supporters Group where no heading will be allowed! The game is to help raise awareness regarding the impact of heading on professional footballers and how this leads to disproportionate numbers of ex footballers developing neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Kick-off is at 3.30pm at Greyfields and we would love your support.
As a voice for supporters, HUST believe it is important to understand the risks of heading in football which are having an impact on ex and current players that we support from the terraces. The stronger the dialogue in this area, the better the opportunity for supporters to join in and support the journey of further research, mitigation and change. We have discussed the event with Judith Gates, who has backed similar events previously through her work with Head for Change which you can read out here. Judith has just created a new charity called Head Safe Football which focuses on football related brain disease, particularly CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a condition linked to repeated minor brain injuries). Established at the request of the footballing community, Head Safe Football provides emotional and practical support, evidence-based knowledge and up to date research for footballers and their families.
As we have done in previous community initiatives, we are also linking in with a local support group to understand barriers for those with Alzheimer’s and Dementia in attending football games, and how watching football can actually support with those living with these conditions. The Hospital of God at Greatham will help us in understanding this and we will also provide some of their service users with some match tickets for Pools from our community ticket initiative.
All profits from Switch of Play live and the football match will be split between the Hospital of God, which you can read about here, and Head Safe Football. Keep an eye out on our social media pages and website in the week leading up to the event for some interviews and articles on this subject.
If you have not yet watched or listened to any Switch of Play episodes then we strongly encourage you to go to their YouTube page here!